# speak of the devil

Pronunciation: say "speek uv thuh DEV-uhl" US /ˌspik əv ðə ˈdɛvəl/, UK /ˌspiːk əv ðə ˈdɛvəl/; AUS say "SPEEK uhv thuh DEV-uhl"

## Idiom

1. Said when a person who has just been mentioned in conversation happens to appear at that moment.
   - Simple: Said when a person you were just talking about suddenly shows up.
   - _Speak of the devil, here's the very man we were just discussing._
   - _I had barely finished my story about Dana when, speak of the devil, she came through the door._

## Origin

This is a shortened form of "speak of the devil and he shall appear," which can be traced back to "talk of the Devil, and he's presently at your elbow," attested in 1666. The idea behind it (that mentioning a dangerous creature may cause it to appear) is found in many cultures around the world.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/speak-of-the-devil (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).